I am the Goddess of Love
by Aura Berry
Summary: A short monologue where the love goddess reveals her inner feelings. She may not be quite what you thought


I am the Goddess of Love�

I am the Goddess of Love. Love and Beauty to be exact. I am the most beautiful and most loved out of all the Olympians. The world, in fact. There is nothing and nobody more beautiful than I. And there's nothing that anyone can do about it!

Sorry. I did not mean to come off as harsh. Hera always manages to get under my ivory skin. She thinks that me being Love and Beauty is a challenge that she must respond to. To say the least, it is very irritating.

Anyways, where was I? Oh yes, me. I came from the sea, riding atop a great sea shell, my magnificent hair floating around my sensuous body. Glorious dolphins carried me along gently, while angels sung my entrance into the world. 

Hmm, I might as well tell the truth. Besides, who are _you_ going to tell? I did not come from the sea alone, I was born from the foam that floats upon the waves. Magic and beauty, and all that's good in the world combined to create the wonder that is moi. That is what my name means, in fact, foam-born. 

…

All right, all right! I was born when the severed parts of Uranus were flung into the sea. Happy now? I am not quite proud of my birth. Honestly, how would you feel if your parents were nothing but the sea and a severed reproductive part? That's not really something you bring up at a first meeting, now is it? But no matter. I have come to terms with my parentage, I no longer care what people think of me. Though Hera cannot resist throwing it in my face that I am older than her.

Huh, like age matters to an immortal. I don't think so.

Can a Goddess like me even have an actual age? I'm not sure how that works.

Oh well. I look younger than her. That is what really counts.

Anyways, I lost my place. Oh right, me again. I have always felt out of place with the other Olympians, considering I did not come from the same place as they. I was not born to a Goddess mother, or spawn out of another immortal like they. I alone am unique and original and that must intimidate them. And I hear them talking about me, behind my back as if I cannot hear them. They call me vain, ill-tempered and easily offended. Vain? Can a creature such as I even feel vanity? I am Love and Beauty itself, nobody, mortal or immortal will ever be considered as beautiful or alluring as me. This is not vanity, this is common fact. Nor do I rub it in anyone's face, I enjoy who and what I am, but I do not insult others because they are not as charming as me. They cannot help who they are just as I cannot help who I am.

Though certain Goddesses that I will not mention keep trying to put me down. Huh, as if she could be more lovely than Love. Who is vain now, Hera?

They call me ill-tempered, but who would not be upset when somebody is constantly trying to usurp your rightful place? So I get a little grumpy now and again. Is that so bad? I do not see anyone trying to tell Hades to lighten up, or insult him for his ill temper, so why me?

Easily offended. Yes, that I can see. I may have developed a bit of a complex when it comes to people insulting me. It comes from years and years of abuse of Goddesses and mortal females trying to compare themselves to me and wanting to be seen as superior. So I turned a few humans to stone, what of it? They all deserved it! And I may have caused King Glaucus' horses to rip him apart, but I was having a bad day, I don't do this on a regular basis. Everyone needs to vent sometimes. 

Especially when you are to blame for the entire Trojan War. Who would not need to vent after that? Honestly! As if I could take credit for causing such a terrible war on my own. Firstly, Achilles' parents should have invited Eris to their wedding. Mortals and immortals alike should know by now, no matter what kind of event you are planning, always invite Eris. She could easily choose to be offended if you do not invite her, and she is Discord, Chaos. You do not need her on your bad side. Eris showed up anyways, carrying a gift, but not for the happy couple. She threw a golden apple into the crowd, which was inscribed with '_to the fairest_.' Naturally, I reached down to claim my gift, when both Hera and Athena grabbed for it as well. So secondly, do not try to claim you are fairer than the Goddess of Love, you will not win. Besides, I am Beauty itself, charm incarnate. And what do you think would happen if I was found to be second in a beauty contest? My entire being would be negated, I would cease to exist! You cannot be Love and Beauty and not be the fairest Goddess, it simply doesn't work. But I am sure that they both knew this and would only be happy enough for me to disappear.

But they insisted, so we chose Paris, a passing shepherd, to decide who could claim the apple. I knew that he would pick me, and so did Hera and Athena, because they both tried to bribe him to change his mind. Hera offered him some land mass and Athena offered to make him the wisest mortal alive. What kind of bribes are those? I could not imagine being the wisest person on the planet, I would lose my mind! And land? Any man who is brave and strong enough can claim their own land. That is not much of a gift from a Goddess. So since they were playing dirty, I would not be left out. I simply offered what any man could want, the most beautiful mortal female as his wife. In truth, I honestly did not know she was married at the time.

Sure, it was a cheap shot, I knew humans far better than the other two, but I am fond of existing and had no desire for it to end. I had a lot more to lose than they did. If they lost, they could just shrug and say 'Oh well, Aphrodite's beaten me.' Again, I might add. If I lose, who knows what will happen? A Goddess cannot just assume another role, Hera nor Athena can take my place, no matter how hard they try. The world cannot exist without Love and Beauty. I cannot bear to think what would happen if I would cease to be. I am responsible for far more than just human love and human beauty.

Imagine a world without any beauty whatsoever.


End file.
